Subdivision 1. Compensation required. (a)
Notwithstanding section 3.736, subdivision 3, paragraph (e), or
any other law, a livestock owner shall be compensated by the
commissioner of agriculture for livestock that is destroyed by a
gray wolf or is so crippled by a gray wolf that it must be
destroyed. The owner is entitled to the fair market value of
the destroyed livestock as determined by the commissioner, upon
recommendation of a university extension agent or a conservation
officer.

(b) Either the agent or the conservation officer must make
a personal inspection of the site. The agent or the
conservation officer must take into account factors in addition
to a visual identification of a carcass when making a
recommendation to the commissioner. The commissioner, upon
recommendation of the agent or conservation officer, shall
determine whether the livestock was destroyed by a gray wolf and
any deficiencies in the owner's adoption of the best management
practices developed in subdivision 5. The commissioner may
authorize payment of claims only if the agent or the
conservation officer has recommended payment. The owner shall
file a claim on forms provided by the commissioner and available
at the university extension agent's office.

Subd. 2. Deduction from payment. Payments made under
this section shall be reduced by amounts received by the owner
as proceeds from an insurance policy covering livestock losses,
or from any other source for the same purpose including, but not
limited to, a federal program.

Subd. 3. Rules. The commissioner shall adopt and may
amend rules to carry out this section which shall include:
methods of valuation of livestock destroyed; criteria for
determination of the cause for livestock loss; notice
requirements by the owner of destroyed livestock; and other
matters determined necessary by the commissioner to carry out
this section.

Subd. 4. Payment, denial of compensation. (a) If the
commissioner finds that the livestock owner has shown that the
loss of the livestock was likely caused by a gray wolf, the
commissioner shall pay compensation as provided in this section
and in the rules of the department.

(b) For a gray wolf depredation claim submitted by a
livestock owner after September 1, 1999, the commissioner shall,
based on the report from the university extension agent and
conservation officer, evaluate the claim for conformance with
the best management practices developed by the commissioner in
subdivision 5. The commissioner must provide to the livestock
owner an itemized list of any deficiencies in the livestock
owner's adoption of best management practices that were noted in
the university extension agent's or conservation officer's
report.

(c) If the commissioner denies compensation claimed by an
owner under this section, the commissioner shall issue a written
decision based upon the available evidence. It shall include
specification of the facts upon which the decision is based and
the conclusions on the material issues of the claim. A copy of
the decision shall be mailed to the owner.

(d) A decision to deny compensation claimed under this
section is not subject to the contested case review procedures
of chapter 14, but may be reviewed upon a trial de novo in a
court in the county where the loss occurred. The decision of
the court may be appealed as in other civil cases. Review in
court may be obtained by filing a petition for review with the
administrator of the court within 60 days following receipt of a
decision under this section. Upon the filing of a petition, the
administrator shall mail a copy to the commissioner and set a
time for hearing within 90 days of the filing.

Subd. 5. Gray wolf best management practices. By
September 1, 1999, the commissioner must develop best management
practices to prevent gray wolf depredation on livestock farms.
The commissioner shall periodically update the best management
practices when new practices are found by the commissioner to
prevent gray wolf depredation on livestock farms. The
commissioner must provide an updated copy of the best management
practices for gray wolf depredation to all livestock owners who
are still engaged in livestock farming and have previously
submitted livestock claims under this section.